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Elder Care Franchising Creates New Niche

It used to be that for elderly people who did not have family to care for them, the only option was living in a nursing home once they were unable to live independently.

No longer. Successful franchises are cropping up as entrepreneurs react to a growing demographic: people living longer who are not necessarily ill, but do need help with basic living functions such as cooking, cleaning, taking medication and personal hygiene. The entrepreneurs’ work enables senior adults to stay in their homes longer.

The need for senior care services and products (medical and nonmedical) will become even more pressing in years to come. Not only are baby boomers’ parents living longer; as they age into their own sunset years, they too will need these services. And this age group has money to spend.

According to census data compiled by Home Instead Senior Care, an estimated 36.8 million people, or 12.4% of the U.S. population, are 65 and older, a figure expected to double by 2026. Those older than 85 are projected to roughly double from 4.7 million in 2003 to 9.6 million in 2030.